Abandoned Hearts
by HelenaGrace22
Summary: Piper does a terrible things that will have an affect on her and her friends for ever.
1. Chapter 1

Late Friday night Annabeth sighed and set her phone down beside her bed. She had texted her friend Wes three hours ago and he still hadn't replied. It wasn't like him, usually he texted back right away. Samantha layed down and closed her eyes, but they flew back open when she heard something move outside her window. She sat up and turned on her lamp. Annabeth jumped as the window started to slide open. She was just about to scream when her best friend Piper climbed into her room. Her face was red and strands of hair clung to her face. Annabeth gasped. Piper almost never cried. She slid off her bed and hugged her friend. "Piper, what happened? What's wrong?" She asked. The crying girl looked up at Annabeth, her eyes filled with fear and brokenness. Annabeth wanted cry now too, but she wouldn't. She'd stay strong for Piper.

"It's... it's" She began. "It's Leo, he's dead." She blurted. Annabeth gasped and forbidden tears sprung to her eyes.

"No, it can't be. No," she stated.

"But it is. I was just going to see him, he said he had something for me. And when I got there, he was crumpled on the floor, bleeding and his eyes stared right through me." Piper broke down sobbing.

"I'm sorry," Annabeth said through her tears. It didn't sound like the right thing to say, but she knew that no words could ever heal or match the amount of pain and horror that Piper was feeling right now. Leo and Piper had been close ever since they went to that dreadful school and first quest together. Annabeth couldn't imagine what it would have been like to find her best friend lying on the floor, dead.

Piper reached into her backpack and pulled out a package of chocolate covered blueberries. She offered a few to Annabeth. She smiled and ate them. Then her vision went black and her world was silent.

Piper wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her faded red sweatshirt and dropped Annabeth out the window. After climbing out the window herself, she picked up the unconscious girl and walked to her car. The night was quiet and a little cold. Fall was coming upon them quickly. When Piper reached her car, she threw Annabeth across the back seat. The determined girl quickly drove Annabeth away from her home and out of her sleeping neighborhood. She kept driving until she came to a clearing. Piper hoisted Annabeth over her shoulder and walked into the shadows casted by a huge building which loomed over them. Piper sighed as she looked up at the abandoned building, memories racing through her mind. As she carried Annabeth up the stairs, she could almost see her younger self running up these same stairs with her dad. They would laugh and race each other to the top. The two of them came here almost everyday until one day he got famous and all but disappeared from her life. Piper knew that Annabeth had had a part in that and this was her revenge. When she finally got to floor 14 she turned and walked down a hallway. The glass over the windows had long since broken and now a cool breeze drifted in. Piper set her "friend" down and went to check on the other parts of her plan.


	2. Chapter 2

Piper stopped in front of a wooden door. The most heartbreaking part of her plan lay behind it. She took a deep breath and opened it, stepping into a dark room. "Piper?" Leo whimpered. She knelt beside him and bit her lip to hold back the tears. Her best friend lie in front of her with a tear streaked face and two broken legs. Both her doing. "Leo," she gently slid her thumb across his cheek, wiping away his tears. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she sobbed. Leo understood why she had done this to him because he had agreed to let her do it. He missed Jason almost as much as she did. Leo wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. They sat there in the dark. The only sound that could be heard was their cries echoing through the small room. "I have to go, she'll wake soon," Piper whispered into Leo's shoulder. Slowly, he let go and she stood up and walked out of the room. Wiping the tears off her face, Piper sat down and leaned against the cold wall across from Annabeth. She stared at the unconscious girl until she woke.

When Amnabeth awoke, she jumped when she saw Piper glaring at her. "What..what's going on? Piper, why are we here?"

"Wait here one moment," Piper replied. When Piper returned, she was carrying heavy shackles.

"Piper?" Annabeth asked, confused.

"Don't move, do what I say and stay quiet," she ordered.

"Um okay.." Annabeth said nervously. Quickly, Piper chained Annabeth's hands together.

"What are you doing!?" Annabeth screamed. Piper yanked on the other end of the chain and sent Annabeth sprawling over the glass covered floor. "I'm going to tell you one more time, stay quiet," Piper whispered into her ear. Annabeth nodded hastily. "Now get up!" She screamed. Annabeth whimpered and tried to get up but glass pierced her hands and she fell down again. Enraged, her captor kicked her. Annabeth cried out. "I SAID GET UP!" Piper screamed even louder. Her voice echoing down the hallway. "Piper, please don't do this. This isn't you. You would never do this." Annabeth begged.

"Oh so first you go and threaten Jason and make him leave me and now your telling me that I wouldn't do this!? Because it looks like I actually am doing this." Piper yelled. Since Annabeth was still on the floor, Piper yanked her to her feet. Annabeth knew that Piper would never do this. "Please, please get back soon," Annabeth thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Piper pulled her toward a door. The wooden door. She opened it and led Annabeth inside. Annabeth gasped when she saw Leo, his legs bent at odd angles and thin cuts across his face. "Annabeth, this is all my fault. I'm sorry. I should have known this would happen. I should have done something to stop this. I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Leo, no. This isn't your fault. I promise. If it's anyone's fault it's mine!" Annabeth cried.

"I SAID SHUT IT!" Piper yelled, slapping Annabe. Leo winced. Piper dragged Annabeth to the wall opposite of Leo and chained her there. Then she walked out of the room and slammed the door shut behind her. Annabeth looked around the room for a way to escape, but the door had no handle on the inside and there were no windows. The room was cold and dark except for tiny beams of light shining through little cracks in the wall, casting shadows across the room. The light was just enough for her to see Leo's silhouette as he began to shake and scream. Annabeth tried to help him but he was just out of her reach.

What felt like hours later, Piper opened the door and walked into the room. Annabeth blinked her eyes quickly to adjust to the sudden change in light. She felt weak and exhausted. Her ears rung from hearing all the screams. Leo went silent and still a while ago but she could still hear him in her mind. She looked up at Piper, fear flooding her eyes. Piper stared at her with hatred. "As much as I hate doing this... I'll give you a few minutes in the sun." Annabeth sat up a little straighter but managed to keep a straight face. Piper unlocked the chains from the wall and led Annabeth like a dog out to the hall and chained her up out there. Annabeth's eyes burned and she felt like she would go blind from all of the light. "You have 5 minutes and don't get any ideas." Piper threatened, fingering a jagged dagger. Then she turned and sauntered down the hallway. Piper slipped into the dark room. When she knelt next to Leo, he grabbed her throat and stared at her with a mad look in his eyes. "Leo..." Piper choked. Her vision was fading in and out. She scratched at his rough hands. "Please..." She frantically tried to escape his death grip. Then the wild look disappeared from his eyes and he shoved her away from him. Piper retreated to a corner gasping for air and trembling. "I'm sorry Piper. I don't know what happened," he apologized. Piper looked at him with fear in her eyes and backed out of the room.

When she regained her posture, Piper walked back to Annabeth. "Times up," she smirked, grabbing the blond girl's chains. As she led Annabeth back to the room, she began to cry. "Won't you ever stop with all these tears?" Piper yelled. Then she flung Annabeth towards a window. She pushed half of Annabeth's body out of it. Annabeth screamed and looked down. She didn't know what to do. She was half way out a window, 14 stories up, and at the mercy of a girl who hated her guts. "Jason is gone and it's all your fault!" Piper yelled. "How could you have done that!? I loved him!" She screamed and started to sob. Annabeth kicked Piper and the broken girl hit the floor with a thud. Annabeth fell back into the building. Piper stood up quickly and took hold of the chains again. "I think you've been out enough for today," she drawled and dragged Annabeth back into the dark room. As Piper rechained Annabeth to the wall, Annabeth saw Leo huddled up in the corner, shaking. Piper looked at the wall above Annabeth and started shrieking and backing away from it. Annabeth looked but she didn't see anything there. "No please, no.." Piper begged. Still, Annabeth didn't see anything. With a blood curling scream Piper stumbled backwards out of the room and closed the door.

Once Piper had left, Annabeth realized that in her terror, she'd forgotten to lock the chains. Annabeth crawled over next to Leo. He looked at her with tears running down his face. Annabeth half smiled and took his hand. "Hey," she said.

"Hi," he managed to whisper. "Have you ever done something horrible and apologized but that person was still afraid of you?"

"Not really. But I assume that's happened to you?" She asked sadly.

"I tried to kill my friend. I don't know what came over me. I'm scared that it will happen agin and I won't be able to snap out of it and I'll actually kill someone," his voice caught on the last word.

"Leo, listen. It's not like you to kill someone. I know you'll be able to catch yourself before you do." She reassured him. He nodded and then returned to his position in the corner. Annabeth got up and checked the door, locked. She sighed and sat back down on her side of the room.

The next thing Annabeth knew, Leo was in front of her. He slapped her and then looked at his hand in terror. Shaking and screaming, Annabeth could tell that he was fighting against something in his mind. She tried to back away but he grabbed her wrist in a death grip. Leo twisted her arm back behind her. Annabeth gasped in pain. Then Leo kneed her in the stomach. She cried out. Annabeth couldn't imagine hurting him but it might be the only way she could escape this alive. She scrunched up her face in determination and smacked her palm into his jaw. His head twisted back from the force of the blow, but when he looked back at her, he had a wild look in his eyes. He clamped his hands down around her neck. Annabeth gasped for air. She tried kicking him but he held her at arms length. She closed her eyes just as she heard a yell. This time from Piper. Annabeth opened her eyes to see what would happen. Praying that if she was going to die, they would make it quick. Piper ran over, grabbed Leo's face in both hands and yelled, "You can't kill her yet! What's gotten into you!?" Leo immediately released Annabeth. The wild look fleeing from his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't know what happened." He pleaded. Piper's eyes softened and she wrapped him into a hug. Then she seemed to remember that Annabeth was there. Piper turned around and quickly chained her back to the wall. Then she dragged Leo out of the room.

Annabeth was surrounded by darkness again. She couldn't believe it, Leo had just tried to kill her. "Please please come back soon before they get too much worse. Please" she begged. She was bruised, she had nasty cuts on her hands and face from the glass, and her neck was swollen. She found it was getting harder to breathe. The room started to spin and suddenly she was unconscious.

In the hallway, Piper sat down next to Leo. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Like I'm going crazy" he replied.

"No really, how are you?" She asked again.

"Well, my legs hurt something terrible, my face stings, and I'm scared that I'll actually kill someone," he whispered.

"I'm so sorry," She whispered back.

"No, I understand why we are doing this. It's worth it. For Jason remember?" he reminded her.

"For Jason," she agreed. Then she yawned, lay her head down and fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

"Leo woke to the sun shining down the dank hallway. He took a deep breath and took in his surroundings. Piper had fallen asleep next to him. "Good" he thought to himself. "She needed that.". The morning was quiet. It was nice compared to all the screaming and pain that had been his life the past few days. The hallway was peaceful. He liked it this way. Piper stirred beside him. He turned and looked at her. She opened her eyes. She looked confused for a moment but then she sat up and hugged him. "Leo?" She asked quietly. He raised his eyebrows. "Is it just me or do you feel like something's not right in your mind?...that sounds wierd. It's probably just me." She said

"No, I've felt it too, when I tried to strangle you. I would never do that." He replied.

""What's happening?" She asked trembling

"I don't know." Leo said

""I don't like this, I want it to end. It's scaring me." She confessed.

""Me too. We'll get through this Piper. We will."

"You should probably go back in there with Annabeth." Piper suggested. Leo nodded. She dragged him back in the room and found an unconscious Annabeth. Piper sighed. Couldn't the girl at least stay awake? She kicked her. The girl still didn't wake so she knelt down and screamed into her ear. Annabeth's eyes flew open. She scrambled back into a corner, sobbing. "Please, please stop hurting me," she whimpered. Annabeth was broken and scared. She thought he'd never come back and save them. Piper smirked and nodded toward Leo who sat on the other side of the room. Sam jumped and clawed at the wall, trying to escape. "There's no way out... I hope death doesn't find you too soon." And with that Piper walked menacingly out of the room and locked the door behind her. When she turned around to face the hallway, someone was standing there. Jason.

"Piper's eyes filled with fear as she started murmuring "No please no. I can't...don't..no." She stared at him, trembling. Jason took a step toward her, but she took off running down the hall. She ran past the windows where the setting sun shown through. She turned and began to run up the staircase. Tripping over a loose board, she fell and looked behind her frantically. Jason was following her. Piper scrambled to her feet and continued running until she got to the roof. She ran to the far corner and stood there crying in fear as Jason came closer. "Piper, it's me. I don't know what your thinking, but you'll be okay. I promise." He knelt down beside her and looked into her eyes. This time instead of fear, they had a wild look in them. She screamed as she tackled him and pinned him to the floor. Piper grabbed her dagger and tried stabbing him. She managed to graze his arm before he snatched it from her and threw it over the side of the roof where it landed 22 stories down on a pile of wilted roses. Enraged by this Piper landed a solid blow to his face. Jason knew what he had to do, even though he hated the thought of doing it. He grimaced as his fist made contact with her temple. The force made her head whip back. In that second Jason stood up and dragged her up with him. He grabbed her shoulders and yelled, "Piper! Stop! This isn't you!" She whimpered and tried to escape his grasp but he was too strong. When her eyes met his, they were filled with fear. Slowly Jason let go of her shoulders and gently took her hand. Piper stared at their joined hands with a confused look on her face. Jason pulled out a small glass container and offered it to her. "Here, drink this. It will make everything better." Piper looked at the glass and her eyes widened. She ripped her hand out of his grasp and backed away from him, shaking her head. She looked at the bottle as if it were something deadly. "No, stay away from me," she said boldly

""Piper, you need this," he told her.

"No. I don't, and if you take one step closer to me, I swear I will kill you." As the girl said this, something replaced the wild look in her eyes, regret. But it was only there for a split second, then she looked like she had a crazy idea. Piper went over to the side of the roof and climbed up on the ledge. She took a deep breath and lifted her foot out in front of her, about to take a step when a force hit her from the side. Jason had rushed over and pushed her back onto the safety of the roof. While she was stunned from the impact, he opened the glass and forced its contents down her throat. The wild look fled from her eyes. "What...I...no..." She looked at Jason, who wrapped her into a tight hug as tears ran down both of their faces. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault," he whispered into her hair.

"No, oh no." Piper said.

""What?" Jason asked.

""Leo, oh Leo. I hurt him in ways I would never even dream of. And Annabeth..." She whispered.

"Where is Annabeth now?" He demanded.

"With Leo in one of the rooms," she informed him.

"No! We need to get her out of there! Leo will kill her!" He said. The two of them stood up and ran down the stairs back to the fourteenth floor. When they reached the door Piper snatched the key off a chain around her neck and tried to unlock the door but her hands were shaking too much to do it. Jason took the key from her and unlocked it as muffled screams came from behind the door. He threw open the door and they rushed in. Leo's fist slammed into Annabeth's face and he grabbed her neck and started to strangle her. Annabeth turned and saw Jason and Piper before loosing her consciousness. Leo's hands were still wrapped around her throat. Piper ran over to him and loosened his grip on her. He turned to Piper enraged and threw her against the wall. She cried out and landed in a heap on the blood stained floor. "Leo!" Jason yelled. "Here take this," He offered him the cure. Leo looked at the bottle and slid as far as he could away from Jason. Jason sighed and quickly forced the cure down Leo's throat. "Annabeth...Piper...no." Leo whispered. He looked around the room and saw Annabeth lying on the floor unconscious and Jason kneeling over Piper by the wall. "I did this," Leo said.

"Hey," Jason brushed a few strands of hair out of Piper's face. Her eyes fluttered open. "You okay?" He asked. "Well that's a good question. I broke my friend's legs, tortured and kidnapped my best friend, tried to kill you, and I was just thrown against a wall. What do you think? Am I okay?" She asked.

""No... you're not. I'm sorry," Jason said.

""Anyways, I think you have some explaining to do," she said. Jason helped her up and led her over to Leo. She sat down next to her crying friend and together they looked up at Jason.

"Remember that one day at the lake?" He asked them. They nodded. "Well somehow this concoction I was working on spilled onto the raspberries you two were eating. This thing causes the person to, over time, go mad. Annabeth found out about this and I was scared so I told her not to tell anyone or I'd hurt you two. Then I went to find a cure." Jason explained.

""Then why did you tell us that she threatened you and that was why you had to leave?" Annabeth asked.

""I don't know... I was scared," he sighed. "This whole mess is my fault. I'm sorry. Can you guys ever forgive me?"

"Of course Jason. You didn't mean to do this," Piper told him. Leo nodded iI'm n agreement.

"Thanks," he half smiled.

""Annabeth!" Piper exhaled. Annabeth had regained her consciousness. She looked at Leo and Piper in terror and scrambled behind Jason.

"Annabeth, I'm sorry. It wasn't me, you know that. I would never have done that to you. I'm so, so sorry," Piper apologized. Annabeth winced at the sound of her voice. Jason bent down and whispered something into Annabeth's ear. She nodded and stumbled out of the room.

"It's going to take her a while to trust you guys again after what you did to her," he said gently. Piper nodded as a silent tear slid down her cheek. "I'll go talk to her," Jason said, leaving the room.


	5. Chapter 5

Annabeth sat down in the hall and waited for Jason. When he stepped out of the room, he walked over to her and sat down. "I'm sorry about what happened Annabeth. I thought I would get back in time," He told her. She nodded.

"I want to forgive them. I really do. I know that they didn't mean to do the things they did but every time is see them. I'm afraid they'll do something else," She said, crying. Jason awkwardly put an arm around her to comfort her.

"The real them is back now. They won't hurt you anymore. I promise," he assured her. Annabeth looked at him.

"I'm glad you're back," she said.

"Me too. I'm glad I got here before they killed someone," he said.

"Yeah, Wes tried to kill me twice," she told him.

"Wow. Piper tried to walk off the roof," he sighed.

"But you saved her didn't you?" Annabeth managed a smile. Jason nodded. "Thank you. Even thought right now she scares me to death, I don't know what I'd do without her." He smiled. As Annabeth brushed some tears off her cheeks, the chains around her wrist rattled. "I bet I know where the keys to those are..." Jason turned and reached into a hole in the wall where he knew Piper would have hidden the key. The same hole that he'd hidden her shoes in a countless number of times. He unlocked the chains and threw them as far as he could away from Annabeth. Her wrists were red and bleeding. Jason sighed, he couldn't even imagine the amount of pain he'd caused his friends to feel, both physically and mentally. "Do you want to try and talk to Leo and Piper again?" He asked gently. Annabeth thought for a moment but eventually nodded her head yes.

Meanwhile, back in the dark room. Leo looked at Piper. "You broke my legs!" He accused her.

"You tried to kill me," she retorted.

"True," he said.

"I really am sorry. You know I would never do anything like that to hurt you on purpose," She told him.

"I know. I'm sorry too. I'm glad I didn't kill you. It would really stink if you died," Leo said as he hugged her. "Love you."

"Love you too," Piper replied, smiling.

Jason opened the door to the room. "Piper, I need to talk to you." Piper got up and walked to him. "Annabeth," he said in a lower voice, "go talk to Leo." Annabeth nodded and slowly walked toward the friend that had caused her so much pain. When Jason and Piper had left the room, Leo spoke. "I am so, so sorry Annabeth. You know I would never to that to you, or anyone." He reached toward her and she flinched, taking a step back. She happened to stand right in the beam of light that was let through by the open door, and Leo could see all the bruises on her face and neck, bruises he'd created.

"Oh, Annabeth..." He trailed off.

"I know it wasn't you but every time I look at you I'm afraid you'll start screaming and try to kill me again," Annabeth whispered.

"I get it. And I'm so sorry. What I did... I'm so sorry," Leo apologized. She sat down a few feet away from him and before she could stop it tears were running down her face again. Leo scooted closer to her, and when she didn't move away he put his arm around her.

"Just know that I won't do it again. I'm back to my spiffy self now." He told her. Annabeth smiled a little.

"I still can't believe you agreed to let Piper break your legs," she said after a moment.

"Hey, I was going mad. We both were," he defended.

"Yeah, I know," Annabeth said shaking her head. Then they heard a gunshot.

Out in the hall Jason said to Piper, "I can't believe you actually chose this building."

"I'm not surprised though. I do have a lot of memories here." She said. "Hey, you were just here with Percy a while ago," she laughed. Jason got a confused look on his face but it disappeared as quickly as it came. Piper was a little thrown off but she began walking down the hallway. Jason followed, but he was walking weirdly. "You okay?" She asked.

"Mhm," he replied but now his hand covered the side of his face.

"Are you sure?" She asked. He nodded quickly and pulled a small container from his pocket. He downed its contents with no pause but Piper was able to read its label. "Polyjuice Potion," she breathed. "Who are you? And what have you done with Jason?" She demanded.

"Oh but who I am doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that you and your friends will be dead soon," he chuckled. Piper glared at him.

"Jason is somewhere close. I know you need him in order to make that potion. Where is he?" Her words were cold as ice.

"You are a smart one," the boy smirked. "Too bad I'm going to kill you."

"Where is he?" She hissed.

"Alright I'll tell you," he teased, "I have him locked up in the underground tunnels. Good luck finding him though, there are over 200 miles of them."

Piper reached into another hole in the wall, where her handgun lie. She pulled it out quickly and pointed it at "Jason". "You wouldn't kill me. You don't have it in you," he said, eyeing the gun.

"Oh I'm not going to kill you... yet. I need you to do something for me first," Piper taunted.

"I don't think so," he made a move toward her but she lowered the gun and shot. The bullet pierced through his leg. He cried out of pain and doubled over. "Piper!? Jason!?" Leo and Annabeth yelled. Piper grabbed his arm and forced him to his feet. He began to protest. "Do I need to remind you that right now I have the upper hand and you are at my mercy?" She sneered. He nodded and whimpered. Piper led him into the room. "Heal his legs!" She demanded, looking to Leo.

"What? No!" The fake Jason said. Piper brought the gun to his head.

"I know you can. Give me the potion or I'll shoot!" She hissed into his hear. He glared at her but handed her a bottle. Leo looked at Piper with a confused look on his face.

"Piper? What's going on?" He asked.

"Piper! Why did you shoot Jason!?" Annabeth screamed with horror.

"This isn't the real Jason. He's a fake. Our Jason is somewhere under this building," Piper explained quickly.

"That doesn't make any sense. How does he know who we are then?" Annabeth questioned.

"I forgot to tell you Annabeth, the cure may take a while to take full effect. This isn't the real Piper," fake Jason lied.

"Okay, yeah I'm pretty sure Piper wouldn't shoot you and hold a gun to your head," Annabeth agreed.

"Now let me go!" "Jason" yelled at Piper, grabbing the gun from her and smacking her hard in the face. She fell backward and lie still on the floor. "Annabeth, we need to get out of here and wait for the cure to fully kick in," he said. Annabeth got up and followed "Jason" out of the room.


	6. Chapter 6

"Wake up," Leo whispered to Piper, shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes slowly and brought her hand to her face. When she looked at it it was smeared with blood. "You're nose is bleeding and you have a nasty cut on your lip," Leo informed her.

"Please tell me you believe that that was not the real Jason," she asked.

"I believe you. I know that he gave us the right cure and I'm myself now. He lied to Annabeth and also as he walked out of the room with her, his hair was turning brown," Leo said.

"Yes, he's using Polyjuice Potion to take Jason's form. It's probably wearing off." She said.

"Where is our Jason?" He asked her.

"He's here in one of the underground tunnels. The only problem is that there are more than 200 miles of them." Piper said. She gave Leo the potion to heal his legs and he drank it.

"We need to go find him," Leo tried to get up.

"Here, I'll help you," Piper stood up and Leo put an arm around her for support. Together they walked out of the room and down the hall. They went down fourteen flights of stairs.

"I don't get why you and him used to come here... Most of these floorboards are gone and this place is just creepy," Leo said, looking cautiously at a door that slowly creaked open.

"That's the point. Adventures are always more fun when their dangerous," Piper laughed. "Except for this one. I don't want to loose any of you," she sighed.

"I know. Me too," he replied. "Don't tell me we're going down there."

"Yeah, we are." Piper said and they walked down another staircase but this time it was dark and the air got colder the farther down they went.

"Jason? Why is your hair brown?" Annabeth asked warily.

"That's none of your business," he replied but it didn't sound like him. The voice was harsher... colder. Annabeth turned to look at him and gasped. Jason wasn't Jason at all. The boy leading her was taller and had a darker complexion. His face wore a smile that was just a little to sweet. Annabeth stopped sharply. "Who are you?" She demanded. The boy turned around and slapped her in one fluid motion. She cried out and began to fall, but she caught herself and regained her balance. "Who I am doesn't matter!" He yelled. "Your just like your friend... what was her name, Piper? Yes, that's it. The girl Jason begged me not to kill."

"Jason?" She whispered. "Where have you taken him?" She said in a louder voice.

"The same place I'm going to take you," the boy smirked. Annabeth tried to escape but he grabbed her wrist. "You escape and I kill your friends... all of them," he threatened. Annabeth glared at him but followed him through the tunnels.

The tunnel was cold and damp. Piper and Leo stumbled on for what felt like hours. When they stopped to rest for a minute, she heard raised voices and scuffling. "Leo? Do you hear that?" She asked. He nodded. "It's probably Annabeth and whoever it was that pretended to be Jason." She said.

"Let's sneak up behind them and scope out the situation before rushing in," Leo suggested. The two of them got up and crept down the tunnel.

Jason slowly and painfully opened his eyes when he heard footsteps. He tensed, waiting for the boy to hit him or yell at him. But nothing happened. He looked closely heat the figures moving toward him. He saw someone other than his captor, someone with a more delicate structure. Annabeth. Jason immediately became more alert. She was limping and as she got nearer, he saw that she was cut and bruised. He instantly hated the boy even more. "Ah Jason, I'm sure you see that I brought you a friend," the dark boy taunted.

"Why did you do this to her?" Jason demanded, struggling against the chains that bound him. The other boy chuckled maniacally.

"Oh I didn't do this. This was the doing of your other friends, Leo and Piper."

"No, they would never do that," He said.

"But they did and now they're on there way here. Here to save you and Annabeth. But they will fail and you will all die." The boy smirked.

"No!" Jason yelled.

The dark haired boy chained Annabeth up next to Jason and then disappeared down the dark hall. "Annabeth! What are you doing here!? What did he mean when he said that Piper and Leo did that to you?" Jason whispered urgently.

"He gave them a potion that made them go mad. They thought I threatened you and came after me and tortured me. Then this guy came and we thought it was you. Piper tried to tell me that it wasn't you, but I didn't believe her," Annabeth explained.

"Where are Piper and Leo now? Are they okay?" He asked.

"They're somewhere in the building, probably on their way to save us-" Annabeth started.

"But then they'll die..." Jason said.

"They might but we have to trust them. Maybe they'll find a way to beat him. I mean, Piper did shoot him in the leg..." Annabeth assured him.

"Piper... how is she?" Jason asked.

"She's pretty beat up. That guy hit her pretty hard in the face with her gun, but at least she's alive," Annabeth sighed.

"Yeah I guess, and Leo?" He asked.

"When Piper was going mad, she broke his legs, but I think they got a potion to heal them. Before that he tried to kill me twice." She replied.

"Why would he do that?" He asked, shocked.

"He was going mad, but they're better now, both of them," she said.

"Good," he answered. Jason opened his mouth to say something more, but shut it when the boy returned.

"I trust you two had a nice reunion," he smirked as he walked over and grabbed Annabeth's chains from the wall.

"Where are you taking me?" she screamed.

"Not far... close enough so he can hear your cries as I begin my experiment," he informed her. As the boy dragged Annabeth away, she looked back at Jason. Her eyes filled with fear but she knew that there was nothing he could do to help her.


	7. Chapter 7

Leo and Piper paused and peered around the next corner. When Piper saw the scene before her, she turned back and leaned against the wall. Leo looked at her as a silent tear slid down her cheek. Around the corner was a dimly lit room, the only light came from a couple torches on the walls. On one side of the room was Jason, the real Jason, and he was bruised and chained to the wall. The room was empty except for him. Piper took a deep breath and walked into the room, Leo right behind her. Jason looked up when he saw them and his eyes widened. They ran over to him. "How long have you been down here?" Leo demanded quietly.

"A little over a week," he replied.

"Jason, I was so worried. I thought you might be dead," Piper cried. He hugged her the best he could with his hands in chains.

""Nope, I'm still alive. But you guys need to get out of here now before he comes back. He means to kill you," Jason said weakly.

"I'm not leaving you here," Piper said firmly. "Leo, help me find something to use to unlock him." She and Leo scattered about the room, looking for something to use as a key.

"Piper!" Jason yelled. She turned around to see the dark haired boy standing above her. Piper tried to get away but he grabbed her arm and forced her to her knees. Leo made a move towards them, but the boy pulled out the gun and pressed it to her temple. "If anyone moves, I'll shoot."

Jason looked at Piper. She was kneeling on the floor and the dark boy held the gun against her head. She looked awful. Her face was black and blue and her lip had a nasty gash on it, but what shocked him most was that her eyes were full of courage, not fear. "If you're going to kill me, at least tell me why you did all this," Piper demanded plainly.

""Alright," he said, raising an eyebrow. "I've been watching you four for weeks, you seem very close. You would all walk around the lake and talk, you pulled pranks together, and Leo ran away with you that one time when you were upset. You guys are always there for each other so I decided to get you all together and hurt you and see what lengths you guys would go to to save each other and how it would affect you."

""I guess that makes sense, in a demented sort of way," Piper agreed. Jason wondered how she could be so calm, with death so near. "Are you going to kill me or just stand there?" Piper asked.

"Kill you? Oh sweetheart, killing you would be to easy," he taunted. She tensed at the word 'sweetheart'. "I'm going to hurt you until you beg me to kill you," he smirked. "Stay here and don't get any ideas. If you move so much as to blink, I'll shoot him." He walked over to Leo and motioned for him to get up. Leo stood but as he did so he "slipped" and fell onto the boy, pinning him to the ground. The boy yelled in anger. Leo punched him hard in the face. His head whipped to the side. Leo pulled back his fist, flames sparked from it, but in that second the boy lifted his arm and shot. The shot echoing through the small room. Leo turned just as Piper cried out in pain and fell to the ground. "Piper!" He yelled. Jason struggled against his chains but it was no use. "Get up and if you try another move like that, I'll shoot her again," the boy sneered. Leo looked at Piper fearfully, she looked so small lying there. He got up and followed the boy. Leo solemnly let his wrists be chained and was tied near Jason. Leo looked over at his friend and saw him look from Piper to the boy with tears running down his cheeks. They both sat in fear, awaiting the boy's next move. He walked over to Piper and kicked her. She screamed and he grabbed her arms and force her to her feet. "This is what happens when you step out of line!" He yelled, shaking Piper violently. She started to sob and looked at him with terror. The boy chained her wrists and threw her down in between Leo and Jason. After locking her to the wall, the boy walked out of the room.

"Piper!" Jason said, looking at her shoulder. It was bleeding badly and her shirt was turning a dark red. He turned toward her and pressed his hand firmly over her wound. Her hands flew to his and she cried out in pain. "I'm sorry, but I need to do this or you'll bleed to death and I'm not going to let that happen," he told her. She nodded and took a deep breath. "Here," he motioned for her to come closer. She slid over next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and tried to forget about the pain. "Piper," Leo started. "I'm sorry, I didn't think he would do that."

"It's not your fault. You were trying to help us," she said quietly. For a while no one said anything. They all sat there in silence until they heard screams coming from another room.


	8. Chapter 8

""Stop, please no!" Annabeth screamed. The chains around her wrists were red and burned her already raw skin. The boy remained expressionless as he watched her scream and writhe in pain. After what seemed like an eternity, the chains went back to normal. Annabeth sat there, exhausted and traumatized. "Time to get up," the boy ordered. "I believe you have some friends to see." She didn't say anything, she was too worn out to care. He dragged her to her feet and she stumbled behind him into the torch lit room. Annabeth gasped when she saw what lie in front of her, her exhaustion long forgotten. Her friends were all chained up. Piper and Jason were asleep, leaning against each other for support. Piper's shirt was blood stained and Annabeth knew that she was the one who suffered the pain from the gun shot she'd heard. Leo was the only one awake, he sat there. Silently staring at them, his eyes followed Annabeth as the boy brought her to the center of the room. Leo nudged Piper and she lifted her head, causing Jason to wake up. When Piper saw Annabeth, she shook her head in denial. "Why couldn't this all just end," she thought to herself.

Piper looked at Annabeth as her friend stood in the center of the room. Her face had lost it's color and was cut and bruised. Her wrists were still in chains but Piper could see burn marks trailing up her arm. Her shirt was damp with blood and tears. Annabeth looked terrified and trembled ever time the boy got near to her. Piper didn't even want to imagine the horrors that she had been through.

Annabeth started screaming, a horrible scream that gave her friends chills. They watched in horror as serious burns started crawling over her body. "ANNABETH!" Piper yelled, trying to break free from her chains as Annabeth fell to the ground. Jason pulled Piper back and held her as she cried for her friend. The dark boy watched them with a grin on his face and after a while Annabeth stopped screaming and lay motionless on the floor. The boy dragged her limp body over to her friends and sauntered out of the room.

"Annabeth," Piper cried, taking in the sight of her friend's charred body. "I'm so sorry." Annabeth looked at her friend weakly and slowly opened her fist. In it, lie a nail. Jason took it and unlocked Leo's chains. Leo scrambled to Annabeth and held her as Jason freed himself and Piper. "Go," Annabeth whispered.

"What?" Leo asked.

""You guys need..to leave," Annabeth struggled to say. "I'll only slow you down."

"No," Leo said sharply. "I'm not going to leave you here." Piper slid over next to them.

"Guys, if we're going to leave. We need to do it now before that guy comes back," she said.

"Leo, you take Annabeth and go on ahead. Piper and I will be right behind you," said Jason. Leo picked up Annabeth and hurried out of the room and down the tunnel. Piper looked at Jason and smiled. They were so close to leaving this place of torture. They stood up shakily, weak from the abuse they had endured. Piper cradled her wounded arm as the two of them began to hurry out of me room "Not so fast," the dark boy cleared his throat. They whirled around and saw him pointing the gun at them. He had a container in his other hand. He began to circle them slowly, while pouring out its contents. "I have to admit. You all are smarter than I was expecting. Two of you are escaped," he sighed. A sickening smell began to fill the room. Piper's eyes widened when she realized what it was but before she could say anything. The boy threw a torch down at the trail of liquid on the floor. In an instant, the ground shook with what sounded like an explosion as flames shot up, surrounding them. Over the roar of the flames, they heard the boy shout, "Looks like you won't be behind your friends like you promised!"

The heat from the flames burned against Jason's skin. The smoke began to fill the small room, causing his eyes to water and sting. He looked down at Piper, who looked up at him. The flames danced in her eyes. "We're going to have to jump through," Jason's throat burned. She looked at the roaring flames with fear but nodded. She slid her hand into his and he held it tight. "One...two...three..." Jason closed his eyes as they ran and jumped through the fire. He held back a scream as his body felt like it was going to melt. Then they tumbled onto the ground on the opposite side of the flames. The cool ground felt refreshing compared to the last few seconds of his life. Jason looked to where Piper had fallen. She lie there, biting her lip and grasping her shoulder. He went over to her and helped her up. They stood and looked at the ring of flames before taking off down the tunnel.

They continued to run until they reached the stairs that led them back up to ground level. When they had climbed to the top, Jason peered around the corner to see if the dark boy was around. When the he saw that the hallway was empty, he motioned for Piper to come forward. The two of them had grown accustomed to the dimness of the underground tunnels and now the setting sun blinded them. "Where would Annabeth and Leo be?" Piper wondered.

""I'm not sure. We need to be careful because that guy could be anywhere," Jason warned.

"He thinks we're dead though," she replied.

"I'm glad we're not," he grinned. "But he's probably looking for the other two."

""True," she said. "It's getting dark and we're in no condition to be wandering around. Can we find a place to rest?"

""Of course," he replied. They walked until they found a doorway. The door lay rotted on the ground. In the room was an empty swimming pool. They were careful to walk around the edges so that the wouldn't fall in. The windows were high, near the ceiling and the full moon cast scary shadows over the room. Jason and Piper sat down against a wall. An erie silence hovered over the empty space. Jason ran his fingers through Piper's hair, which was singed from the flames. "I'm scared," she admitted. "What if the boy finds them...or us?"

""Leo is smart. He'll know to hide somewhere and wait for us," Jason whispered. "The guy won't find us here."

""How do you know?" She asked.

"I spent over a week with him down in those tunnels and every time a torch went out, he would rush and light it with a frightened look on his face. Plus he never went to see you guys at night, only during the day. He's afraid of the dark," Jason explained.

""Wow..." Piper sighed.

"And even if he did find us, I wouldn't let him hurt you," Jason promised. Piper smiled weakly and rest her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and held her close as they both fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Annabeth had fallen unconscious and now Leo carried her. He brought her to a side room. When Leo examined it, he saw that it used to be a theater. There was a wooden stage in the front of the room and rows and rows of chairs. Leo carried Annabeth down the slope and lay her down at the foot of the stage. He looked at the chairs and found the fabric ripped and moldy so he sat on the edge of the stage instead. Leo imagined what this room used to have been like. He imagined musicians on the stage with bright spotlights shining on them and a huge crowd filtering in. He smiled as he lay back and closed his eyes.

Annabeth's eyes opened slowly. She found herself in a big room which she realized was a theater. It was very dark except for a little sunlight that shone through an open doorway. Annabeth's heartbeat picked up when she couldn't find Leo. She was sure that he was the one who had taken her away from the dark boy...unless he'd found her again. Her hands began to shake as she thought about the possibility of being tortured again. Then she heard someone stirring above her. She pushed herself up to see who it was. Her hands burned from all the pressure and tears sprang to her eyes. When she sat up, she saw that it was Leo sitting above her. Annabeth cried out in joy causing him to wake up. "You're awake," he stated groggily.

"Where's Piper and Jason?" She asked.

"I'm not sure...they were right behind us and then they disappeared," he said. "You shouldn't worry about them though. They'll be fine. But we do need to do something about your current state." He gestured at her whole self.

"Yeah..." Annabeth's voice trailed. Her skin was burnt and most of it was black and peeling. Her arms still had cuts on them and her wrists were raw, almost to the bone. Pretty much the only thing that was okay was her hair, which she was grateful for.

"How did you manage to get out of all that without getting super messed up?" She asked.

"Piper did break my legs, remember?" He said.

"Oh yeah... And your face looks like you were attacked by a cat," she tried at a joke.

"So I didn't get out of it all with out going through some stuff," he smirked. "But at least I look better than you..."

"Hey!" She whisper yelled.


	10. Chapter 10

Piper opened her eyes and saw the early morning sunlight filtering through the high windows. Jason was still sleeping beside her so she was careful not to wake him. She sat there letting the quietness surround her. Her eyes scanned the room, she couldn't believe that her and Jason hadn't been in here before. It was creepily beautiful, the paint on the walls that used to be blue were now faded and tinted green. A few bricks on the floor were uneven and some were even missing. A faint smell of chlorine still hovered over the room. Beside her, Jason sat up straighter and yawned. "Good morning," she whispered. He looked over at her.

"Well, I'm not sure how good it is but it's definitely morning," he said.

"I guess... We need to find Leo and Annabeth. I don't think Annabeth will last much longer unless we get her some help," she told him.

"Yes," he stood up and helped Piper up too. "How's your shoulder doing?"

"It hurts like crazy but we need to find Annabeth," she said determinedly. Jason nodded. They walked out into the hallway as a cold breeze blew through, sending dead leaves swirling over the stone strewn floor. Fall was now upon them. They must have been here longer than they thought...the leaves were just starting to turn when they spent their first horrific night here.

"Look," Jason said, pointing to a bloody footprint. Piper gasped.

"That must be from Leo. The blood isn't fully dry yet," she observed.

"Or it could be from that other guy," said Jason.

"Either way we need to keep looking because if it is Leo's, Annabeth should be with him," Piper said, looking for another footprint. Jason sighed and followed her. "There," she exclaimed quietly. There was another footprint leading into a room. The two of them entered the room cautiously just in case it was the other guy. Piper looked in awe at the room. It was a theater with rows of dusty seats and an enchanting stage in the front. The curtains hung like veils leading into another world and the walls were decorated with beautiful designs. Something on the stage drew her attention, two figures next to each other. Piper's heart swelled with joy when she realized that it was her two friends. "Leo!" She exclaimed and began to run down to them. Her shoulder was throbbing with pain but she kept going. When she reached them she wrapped Leo in a hug. "I'm so glad you guys are okay," she cried. She turned to Annabeth but didn't hug her, her skin didn't look to be in any condition to be embraced without it being extremely painful. "Annabeth, you're alive," she said tears streaming down her face. Annabeth smiled.

The dark boy dropped glass that contained the cure after downing its contents. It shattered on the floor as his mind flooded with the memories of the past week. He started to breath heavily. "NO!" He screamed. He couldn't believe what he'd done. The boy took of running down the hall and out into the the field that surrounded the building. Waves of guilt crashed over him as he sank to his knees in the tall brown grass. The dead trees that were scattered around him matched the feeling of his heart.


	11. Chapter 11

*Ten years later*

 **The Dark Boy**

"No, I didn't, no I'm sorry," the dark boy mumbled in his sleep. His dreams were still filled with the horrifying images of him and the four friends. Him leading the blonde one down the hall and screaming at her. The way she trembled at the sight of him, the way she looked as he tortured her, like she would break into a million pieces and worst of all the blackness of her skin as she fell in front of her friends.

Himself being tackled by the determined boy and him sending a bullet through the short haired brunette girl's shoulder. The way her face gleamed in the roaring flames as she turned to the blonde boy in fear.

But the worst scenes of all pictured the tall, blonde boy. Himself chaining the boy to the wall and screaming at him, forcing him to drink a potion that caused him the maximum amount of pain that a man could handle but not die. Torturing and starving him until he told him information about his friends.

 **Jason**

Piper awoke one night, screaming. Jason rushed into her room to see what was wrong. He found her sitting on her bed, shaking and crying while clutching the sheets. He knew that she had had another nightmare. This was normal for them all, and Jason hated it. He was angry at the dark boy for everything he had put them through. Jason went over to Piper and sat on the bed next to her. She looked at him with brokenness in her eyes. His heart tightened as he looked at her, tear stained, small, and scared. He was mad at himself for telling the dark boy about her. He felt responsible for this and hated it. "It was you," she whispered. "You were lying there chained to the wall. You were dead," her voice caught on the last word and she started crying again. "Hey hey hey," he said gently, putting an arm around her. "I'm here. It's okay." She nodded. "You should try and get some more sleep," he said, getting up to leave. "Wait," she said. "Please stay." Jason half smiled and held her safely in his arms as she fell asleep.

Piper woke up and turned to face Jason. She smiled as he opened his eyes. "I'm sorry. I wake you up a lot and I'm sure it's getting annoying but somehow you're always there for me. Why?" She said softly. "You know why," he grinned, while running his thumb across her cheek.

 **Leo**

Annabeth had invited her three fiends over for dinner at her apartment which was a couple doors down from the rest of theirs. They all sat there laughing and talking, all except for Annabeth. She looked on the verge of tears. "Hey, do you want me to stay with you tonight?" Piper offered gently. "I'm sure I'll be fine," Annabeth shook her head. Piper looked at her worriedly but stood up and began to take the empty dishes over to the counter. Jason got up to help her, but Leo stayed behind with Annabeth.

"I'm worried about Annabeth," Piper told Jason quietly while they were washing the dishes. "I know her bad days aren't happening as often but when they do, they're really bad and she usually wants me to stay with her."

"Maybe she had a flashback of you torturing her," Jason said.

"That's probably what it is," she looked up at him sadly. "And if that's the case, I should probably leave." Piper walked over to the table where Annabeth and Leo were sitting. "I've got some things I need to work on, so I should probably get going."

"Okay," Annabeth replied.

"I'm gonna go too," Jason said. Leo and Annabeth nodded.

Once Piper and Jason left, they walked over to the couch and sat down. "How was your day?" Leo asked.

"It was good," Annabeth replied.

"Annabeth, c'mon I know something's wrong. You know you can tell me anything," Leo said.

"I had a dream," she sighed.

"Do you want to talk about it," he asked.

"Not really. I just want to forget about everything that happened," she said softly. Leo nodded, he knew the feeling. The two of them sat there in silence for a while until Annabeth fell asleep next to him. Leo knew that her dream had been about Piper. He noticed the way that she had avoided her friend and the way she looked at her warily. He sighed but then he heard a noise. He jumped up to go investigate but found that it was nothing. Leo hadn't been having nightmares like the rest of his friends and he hadn't gotten as protective as Jason had gotten. No, Leo had only gotten more paranoid. Every strange sound or movement worried him, but that was understood because he'd spent days locked in a dark room where the next sound meant more pain. Leo was glad that that was all over.

 **Piper**

Piper lay on the couch with Leo watching Inception in his apartment. They had finally gotten around to watching this movie. Piper looked over at Leo and laughed, he was freaking out at the song that was playing. It made her happy just to see him so happy. When the movie was over, he took out his notebook and started drawing another graffiti picture. This one pictured the word "hill" in the form of an actual hill. Piper imagined that it meant sometimes you have to make it over a lot of hard things in order to be where and who you are today. When he was done, he ripped out the page and handed it to her. "Thanks," she said. He smiled and then the door to his apartment opened. They both looked to see who is was as Jason walked into the room. He laughed when he saw the two of them both wearing sweatpants and curled up on the couch. "What's so funny?" Piper asked, smiling. "I was looking all over for you two and I guess I should have thought to look here first," he replied, walking over to the couch and and sprawling out on top of them. "Hey!" Leo and Piper laughed. "You guys are having way too much fun without me," Annabeth said after she walked in and saw her three friends all laughing on the couch. "Annabeth's here!" Piper exclaimed. "Yay! C'mon Annabeth join us. You know you want to," she teased. Annabeth shook her head but grinned. For the first time in a long time Piper felt truly happy. Her best friends were all laughing and having fun and she loved it.

 **Annabeth**

Annabeth and Jason were at the shooting range. She was doing it to improve her self-defense but she knew that Jason was doing it for Piper, her shoulder was still messed up from when the dark boy had shot her. Plus it was also a good way to let anger out without hurting anyone. Annabeth aimed her gun at the target and imagined the dark boy on it. She breathed in, looked down the sights, released her breath and pulled the trigger. The force of the shot caused her arms to move up but only slightly. She was getting better. Annabeth grinned when she saw that she'd hit the center of the target. "Good job," Jason encouraged her. "Thanks," she replied. They practiced their shooting for a little while longer then they walked over to Subway to get lunch. After they ordered and chose a table, Annabeth asked Jason a question, "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," he replied, looking down at his lunch.

"Seriously Jason. I know your lying to me. What's going on?" She asked.

"I'm worried about Piper. She's still having nightmares and I know it's my fault. I told that guy about her. I should've lied and said something else," he admitted.

"Jason, he twisted your mind in a way that forced you to tell him. It's not entirely your fault," Annabeth said.

"I know but every time she wakes up crying, I feel responsible," he said.

"None of us hold you responsible. Trust me," she told him, reaching out and gently grabbing his hand from across the table. Jason looked at her hand, on her wrists were pink skin, still not fully healed from the burns. He managed a smile, and drew his hand back. "We should probably go," Annabeth suggested.

"Yeah," he replied and both of them got up and headed back to their apartments.

The two of them walked up the stairs and down the hall when they ran into Piper. She had a slightly confused look on her face when she saw them. "I should get back to my place. I've got to finish something," Jason said, walking away from the two girls. When he passed Piper, he leaned down and whispered something in her ear. She smiled and nodded. "Hey, Piper, want to come hangout in my apartment?" Annabeth offered.

"Of course!" She replied. The two friends sat on Annabeth's balcony.

"It's crazy how much we've all changed since that week," Piper said, looking out over the city.

"It really is," Annabeth agreed.

"I feel like all of our personalities got switched. You got braver and I got more nervous. Jason got more protective and Leo is paranoid," Piper observed.

"It's all part of our stories now," Annabeth nodded.

"Yep, I can't find it in me to be upset about any of it. It all happened for a reason and if anything...it deepened our friendships. And for that I'm grateful. I don't know what I'd do without you guys," Piper said.

"Me too," Annabeth replied, hugging her friend.


End file.
